Air fryer caramelized Vietnamese pork recipe

Delicious with white rice, cucumber slices and julienne carrot or, for a lighter meal, in crispy lettuce wraps.

timings

Prep time: 10 minutes, plus coating time

Cooking time: 15 minutes

Serves

4

Calories

222 kcal per portion

Ingredients

  • 4 pork shoulder steaks (about 500 g), trimmed of visible fat and cut into thin slices
  • 1 teaspoon cornstarch
  • ½ teaspoon baking soda
  • 40 g brown sugar
  • 1 tbsp fish sauce
  • 1 tbsp light soy sauce
  • 1 teaspoon dark soy sauce
  • pinch of red chili flakes
  • 1½ teaspoons lemongrass paste
  • olive oil spray
  • ½ small red onion, thinly sliced
  • 2 cloves garlic, crushed
  • 1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger

To serve

  • handful of fresh coriander, finely chopped
  • 2 spring onions, sliced
  • 1 red chili pepper, sliced

Method

  1. Place the pork in a bowl. Add the cornstarch and baking soda with 1 tablespoon of water and let stand for 15 minutes.
  2. Mix the sugar, fish sauce, light and dark soy sauce, chili flakes and lemongrass paste in a separate bowl and add 3 tbsp water.
  3. Preheat the air fryer to 200 degrees Celsius for 2 minutes.
  4. Brush the pork with olive oil and place it directly in the basket of the air fryer or use a suitable foil/silicone foil. Add a pinch of black pepper and air fry for 5-6 minutes, until the edges are slightly caramelized. Turn the pork pieces halfway through. Remove and set aside.
  5. Place the onion, garlic and ginger in the basket of the air fryer. Brush with more olive oil and cook for 2 minutes.
  6. Stir in the sauce and cook for another 3 minutes, then add the pork and cook for 5 minutes.
  7. Sprinkle over the coriander, spring onion and red pepper before serving.

Recipe from Slimming Eats, made in the Airfryer, by Siobhan Wightman (Yellow Kite, £20)